have i told you before that i love my studio? 

today, a peek into where i spend so much time.

this is what i see first thing in the morning.  and i do mean first thing.  

there was a little light when i took these photos today.   it is cozy 

to be surrounded by all of my  favorite things.

this is about as clear as my table top ever is. sometimes i think  that having it totally clear 

will allow me to to larger pieces on my table but  i work around that for now. 

there are two drawers on the table.

looking into my left drawer 

and the right drawer.  my supplies are arranged to compliment 

my layered work flow.   it took me a while to get to this.

 i had this table made when i did a lot of knits to be used for a steaming table.  

it is standing height. that's another thing i might change in the future... lowering the table.

the little closets

on my easel right now

my little cart.  it is so handy right next to the table.

i always love see artist brushes splayed from their container.

these are the drawers to the left of the table.

you can't see them in the photo.

watercolors, gouache, stamps, hand painted papers and images for collage

oil pastels, more collage papers.  And one more drawer that i throw all papers

in for potential future use.  As a mixed media artist, everything has potential.

i took these pics today because i spent a few days organizing.  

it won't  stay like this for long.  i like the unfolding that happens both in discovering 

what is being created and bringing out the supplies that help a painting come into being.    

then when the piece is completed, putting thing back feels like the completion of the process.  

a week doesn't seem like much...

until you glance back.

scattered mono prints drying in the sun

 and a few close ups.

i went to the james turrell exhibit at 

the los angeles county museum of art.

words can't describe this amazing

experiential exhibit.  if it is at all possible for 

you to go before it leaves los angeles,  i would suggest it. 

view from second floor of the museum, 

out toward the hollywood hills and 

 tiny hollywood sign that you barely see on the right hill.

there was a house made of rolls and rolls of film.

and a soccer exhibit.  it had a negative slant on this,

my favorite sport so i was disappointed.

i was surprised to received this stunning 

arrangement as a thank you from friends.

the shen yun dance performance at the 

nokia center disappointedly turned out to be a 

anti communism platform.  not my cup of tea.

a friend invited me to an all day mixed media workshop.  long tables were lined

with art supplies and tools for our use. it was like being a kid in a candy store.

with all of the supplies to play with i did not take many pics but here are a few.

there was foils and the adhesives needed,

textures,  papers,   paints, pastels, metallics,

pencils, sprays, fixitives, tyvec, tapes,

i'm sure you get the picture.  i went to my monthly 

art critique group where six of us gather.  we each have 25 minutes to 

present our art or discuss topics related to our creative lives.

And attend  my painting class at the community college. 

i saw a frieda Khalo photo exhibit at the latin american

museum of art in long beach.   frieda was influenced by the fact that 

both her parents were photographers.  i  have been to her home in 

mexico and have her journal.   this was another glimpse into this icon.

and i celebrated my 32nd anniversary last yesterday.

one full week it was.

i am participating in my first 

round robin

cover with metallic swirls

with five other artists.  we each start with 

a dos-a-dos style journal that folds open 

with six sections.  each section has a spread

and an internal shorter spread within.

we have a month to paint one section and mail it to the 

next participant.  

stand where you are

the first decision was whether or not to have

the inner section 'match.'  i most frequently 

do not start with a theme.  i first added an under layer of

masking tape covering the stitch holes to prevent 

paint seepage.   Then selected a palate.

is your paradise the same as mine

as the process continued,  words followed.  

your heart is the source that will never let you down

i will have mixed feelings when i

mail it off today.  i've put some of myself into this journal and

grown attached yet i am excited at the anticipation 

its return with the shadings of the other five

wonderful artists.   the thought that other friends

will add their creativity is a gift that i am grateful for.

i think i am a lucky gal.

head in the air,

feet on the ground....

or is it the

other way around?

“Faith is one foot on the ground, 

one foot in the air, 

and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”

― Mother Angelica

spring arrived while i took my blog break.   while color blooms

outdoors, i have had fun with monochromatic and minimal colors.

by playing with a setting on my iphone this is a very colorful journal page 

was translated into black and white.  i will show what the color version 

in a future post.   in real life very little is black or white

so creating it by the touch of a button gives a magical feel.  

i celebrated a friends' s birthday by going to the 

diane von furstenburg exhibit

at the los angeles county museum of art

i remember when her wrap dresses were the

craze.

and they still are popular 

fifty years later.

i am glad to be back here at my home away from home with you

and my paint party friday friends.  i hope you get a chance to 

visit some of the other creatives who post their art each week.

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” 
― Friedrich Nietzsche

illustration maurice sendak from open house for butterflies 

by ruth krauss as seen through brain pickings

hello 

i will be taking a few days off

from art and blogging to take care

of some of deferred maintenance 

in my life.  by that i mean all the stuff of life

that needs to get done but is not as compelling

as color, paint, art and creativity.

i am trying to think of it as another way of 

being creative.   every once in a while even i cannot

stand the piles that have gathered and also would like

things to work when i turn the knob and not leak when

they are not supposed to  and be able to walk in a straight line

instead around another pile.  it's a perfect time.  i think it's called

spring cleaning.  thank you so much for visiting even if you have not 

commented.  i do appreciate hearing from you and knowing you are there.

i will see you soon.  

XO

double vision...

no, i painted this twice with

different background colors, 

one in oil, one acrylic.

do you have a preference?

darkness into light

still under the effects of 

allergies so i'm barely sliding this

sketch in today.

as i do each friday, i am

linking with paint party friday

collage surprise

in my experimental group meeting we brought collage papers, 

a half sheet of watercolor paper for a  substrate, and adhesive.   we were instructed

to collage every bit of the paper paper without a plan.  when it was dry

we turned it over and cut it up in  pieces so the results were a surprise.  

this is  one of the results.

i mailed it off as a post card.

i went to an exhibit that was highly recommended.

below is is a mixed media piece done by 

carlson hatton.  his pieces are stunning,

thought provoking, in the way he uses image, pattern

 and color.  this photo hardly does it justice.

today i either have bad allergies or the start of a cold and have 

been sleeping for most of the day so i am writing a short post and

no face.  

hugs to all

drummer girl number 2

i am giving her a monochromatic try

to practice darks and lights.

it is said that a new habit is formed after 21 days.

i think doing painting a day since the middle of january

comes under the category of a new habit.

what do you think?

another attempt at painting my son

i am still working monochromatically.  this time

in raw umber and white.  i have to stop for now but will

work on it more later.  i am thinking i might 

paint both sides of the background in the raw umber.